Pallides corrected me shyly, but clearly.
Watching the Dullahan transformed into a knight in full plate armor clutching her cheek, if I said she was cute, someone would call me crazy. But she really was cute.
Just ten minutes ago, this was the same guy who had been beating up a ruffian who looked twice her size, and now here she was stamping her feet over a small boat.
I first led the Dullahans toward the pier. Several empty small boats were docked there. They were rowboats. Since Pallides was strong, she'd probably row well.
But the boats were too small.
"Nadav probably can't board."
Nadav, now transformed, was a horse that looked fine enough that it wouldn't be strange if someone stole him.
If we left him behind and went boating by ourselves, someone would surely try to steal Nadav.
Of course, Nadav wouldn't just let himself be stolen, but I didn't want to cause a scene for no reason. We'd already secretly thrown the beaten thugs into a back alley.
"We can just leave Nadav behind and board!"
[You're leaving me behind? Please think before you speak!]
"Or should we leave Jigor behind instead?"
[No! I'm coming too! I'm going to sit on the Captain's knee!]
[Who said anything about you being a child? Sitting on someone's knee?]
[Child! You're just a hornet!]
They're fighting again......
A headache suddenly washed over me.
"Ah, excuse me, customer!"
Someone stepped in front of Pallides, who was cheerfully about to board the small boat regardless of the others fighting. It seemed to be the boat's owner.
"I'm sorry, but boarding in armor is not permitted."
"You're saying the boat can't handle this much weight?"
"As you can see, the boat is small. Moreover, if you fall into the water wearing such armor, it would be serious trouble. For safety reasons, we restrict such attire."
The owner glanced at the sword hanging at Pallides's waist but stood his ground firmly.
Caught off guard by this unexpected situation, Pallides stood blankly for a moment before slowly turning to look at me.
"Captain......."
If Pallides had a head attached, her eyes would probably be brimming with tears.
[Wahahaha! He says you're too heavy to board the boat!]
While this was happening, Jigor laughed heartlessly and stamped his feet. Hearing that mockery, Pallides burst into sorrowful tears and swung her fist.
But Jigor quickly dodged, and her fist ended up striking Nadav right on top of his head.
Wow, that sound was insane. Is Nadav's head okay?
"Pallides, you can just change into different armor."
There are plenty of lighter armors.
At my suggestion, Pallides, who had been flailing her arms trying to catch Jigor, turned to me with teary eyes.
"But Captain."
She fiddled with her helmet.
"I can't wear this helmet with festival attire......."
Wait, I never told her to wear festival attire.
"It doesn't match. I carefully coordinated everything from head ornaments to shoes with my outfit! It's already humiliating enough, but I can't go around dressed all mismatched on top of that!"
Since she'd been looking for a helmet that covers her entire face except her eyes, the helmet Pallides currently wore was a crude iron type. Her armor matched it as well.
And Pallides was apparently a Dullahan with a very delicate aesthetic sense, so she absolutely couldn't tolerate any mismatch between her helmet and outfit.
"Then we'll have to skip the boat ride, unfortunately."
"Sob....... I can't eat the food and now I can't even ride the boats. This is humiliating......."
Pallides, having lost even the will to fight Jigor, squatted down. Did she really have to have her breakdown right at the pier entrance?
The owner couldn't bring himself to forcibly kick Pallides out and just stood there awkwardly watching the situation. We'd probably get reported for causing a disturbance at someone's business.
"How about we go buy new armor instead?"
"Huh?"
"A set, including a helmet. We can buy several and you can change depending on your mood."
I drove the point home to Pallides, who was looking up at me from her crouched position.
"I was planning to buy you a new sword anyway, so I might as well replace everything."
Let me show her what it means to serve a wealthy master.
The weapon shop was at the very end of the commercial district, very close to the city entrance.
It would have been nice to ride a horse, but since Nadav refused to let anyone but me ride him, Pallides and I just walked.
Instead of taking the main road, we were taking a shortcut through narrow alleys.
Perhaps because everyone was playing at the festival streets, the narrow alleyways were sparsely populated.
Finally, peace came to my ear canals that had been suffering from all sorts of noise, beyond just the Dullahans' chatter.
[Captain, Captain! You'll grant me a sword someday too, right?]
[Captain, I'd be grateful just for a cloak! I won't act like a spoiled child begging for an expensive sword.]
[Tristan! Are you saying I'm like a child right now!]
Ah, on second thought, peace might be too strong a word.
"Nadav, I'll get your horseshoes changed too."
[Thank you, Captain.]
I was walking leisurely, tuning out what should be tuned out, when Pallides, who had been walking ahead as lightly as if she could fly, suddenly stopped.
Nadav did the same. Jigor and Tristan, who had been bickering, also stopped speaking simultaneously.
"What's wrong?"
[I sense an unpleasant presence.]
Jigor, with his keen senses, spoke first. Tristan then flew forward to hover before me.
[If we transform into our true forms, we can win.]
"That won't work."
No matter how sparse the foot traffic, this was still inside a city, and someone could pop out from anywhere. If Dullahans appeared within the city, rumors would spread immediately.
Heinlei, whom I'd met in Freya before, had told me. When I escaped riding on Nadav, people accepted that the Resurrected had been kidnapped by Dullahans.
That was why Maxel had descended upon hearing that Dullahans had appeared in Freya.
So there was absolutely no benefit to showing the Dullahans' true forms to others.
[But Captain!]
"That's an order. None of you are to transform into your true forms inside the city under any circumstances."
If they absolutely must transform, they should do it outside the city walls where it's easier to flee.
"Pallides is strong, so she should be enough."
"Don't worry, Captain. I'll protect you."
I felt relieved at Pallides's confident answer.
She was the highest-ranked among the four Dullahans under my command. I suspected their ranking was based on strength.
That would mean Pallides was the strongest Dullahan among the four.
"If it comes down to it, Nadav can just trample them with his hooves."
With Nadav's large size, anyone he crushed under his weight would suffer serious injuries.
At my words, Nadav snorted and stomped his front hooves. Tristan flew rapidly around the area, searching for the source of the unpleasant presence.
Prepared for any eventuality, I moved Jigor onto my shoulder and concentrated on sensing the presence around me.
From inside buildings, and in every narrow path connecting the alleys, faint presences filled the space. There seemed to be both humans and animals like rats.
They were likely just living creatures inhabiting this city. It didn't seem like what Jigor would call an unpleasant presence.
Come to think of it, hadn't I experienced a similar situation before?
Probably back when only Nadav was with me. Back then, Nadav had also sensed an unpleasant presence, and what appeared next was.......
"......Surely not."
No way, right?
[Something is approaching!]
Even without Jigor's cry, I could feel the strong presence of someone approaching from directly ahead.
Among all the countless human presences nearby, this one stood out with particularly intense and commanding presence.
Wow, this is really too much. I've been running away consistently all this time, and just when I let my guard down for a few days, this happens?
"Captain, step back."
Pallides drew her sword with a smooth motion. The moment I confirmed the large-built man who appeared from the opposite entrance, a sigh escaped my lips.
"Good heavens."
Samuel, you insufferable human....... What kind of grudge did we have in a past life that you keep pestering me like this?
"I've found you well."
He looked straight at me as if Pallides standing guard before me didn't exist.
"It's been a while."
"Don't you ever get tired of this, sir?"
I was genuinely curious. Even I think I've been moving around chaotically, so for him to catch up like this meant that human must have been quite persistent in his pursuit.
Ignoring my exasperated expression, he calmly surveyed my surroundings.
"Your companions have changed since we last met."
"Captain, step back."
"Wait a moment, Pallides."
If the opponent was Samuel, fighting head-on was something that needed more careful consideration.
"That man is dangerous."
But something was off about Pallides's state.
"We need to eliminate him right now!"
"Pallides!"
"Die!"
As if she couldn't hear my voice, she instantly leaped forward and lunged at Samuel.
Samuel immediately drew his own sword to block her sudden attack that looked like it would split her skull. Two swords clashed, sending sharp metallic sounds ringing through the air.
"Pallides! Wait, stop!"
Clang, clang, clang!
Instead of answers, only the sounds of blades continuously striking each other rang out. This was on a completely different level from when she dealt with the thugs earlier.
Pallides's sword was fast enough to be barely visible even to my eyes, and it cleaved through the air with terrifying force.
What was even more surprising was Samuel, blocking all these attacks without faltering.
Since the attack had already begun, if she could land a critical hit, escaping afterward would become easier. Should I start cheering for Pallides now?
But even to a layman like me, Pallides's attacks weren't working on Samuel.
It seemed difficult to inflict effective wounds without the Dullahans returning to their true forms.
Moreover, Pallides was too agitated.
[If this continues, she'll go on a rampage! Pallides's mind has become unstable!]
What? Pallides's delicate mind, more fragile than glasswork, again?
"Why is Pallides acting like this?"
[I don't know! If we don't stop her immediately, she'll get excited and run wild in her true form!]
[Pallides! Get a hold of yourself, you fool!]
Jigor and Tristan's voices didn't reach her either.
Anxiously biting my lip, I eventually had no choice but to shout to Samuel.
"Sir Samuel! Please subdue her without hurting her!"
Would he even hear me while fighting like that?
I watched the two of them worriedly and was about to shout again with all my might when Samuel, having parried Pallides's sword with a large motion, answered in a calm voice.
"If I do that, will you promise not to run away?"